Fasotech Begins Taking Orders To 3D Print Your Unborn Baby

As far as wacky baby mementos go, this one from Fasotec and Hiroo Ladies Clinic takes the biscuit. They’ve come up with a service that gives newbie parents the opportunity to own a 3D model of their baby in the earliest stages of development: as a miniature 3D-printed replica of the fetus.

While most expectant parents will settle for a hazy ultrasound scan of their little bundle of joy, Fasotech’s “Shape of an Angel” service replicates precisely the position, posture and appearance of the baby as it appears in the mother’s uterus and produces the uniquely-disturbing figure as a 7-ounce, two-resin 3D model.

An ultrasound scan from the doctor will come in cheaper of course - the model is marked-up at ¥100,000 (about £815) – but that’s not to admire the craftsmanship and technology that goes into producing just a single product. First up is the photographing of the fetus itself using MRI scan, before the image is processed in ‘special’ software to create a computer-based three-dimensional model. Finally, the 3D data is fed to a 3D printer to be constructed. Using a process called ‘Bio-Texture’ to layer two resins simultaneously, the clear resin of the model represents the mother’s body and the white resin the undeveloped fetus.

For the price tag, Fasotech includes a decorative pink-and-white box. Fetus keychains (yes, you read that correctly) and cellphone dongles made through the same process will cost you further still. The company plans to expand the pricing structure and customise the range of models by shape and size in the near future to accommodate different budgets.

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